Stephen Linder’s lawsuit against the United States for malicious prosecution and intentional infliction of emotional distress — based on allegedly tortious conduct by the U.S. marshal for the Northern District of Illinois and several other federal employees — relied on an 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals case that concluded the discretionary-function defense provided by Section 2680(a) of the Federal Tort Claims Act doesn’t apply to assault, battery, false imprisonment, false arrest, abuse of process or malicious prosecution by federal law enforcement officers.